Review: Low-Budget Repairs
- Giovanni Antunes Bonin
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Make repairs (not-so-good ones), earn money (not much), and have fun.
Game
Low Budget Repairs is a game developed by Gray2RGB in which the player takes on the role of a nephew who has moved into his aunt's old house (in Russia?). Upon arrival, he discovers the place is falling apart, filthy, and overrun by squatters. To fix things up (and earn some cash), his aunt suggests he look up Zbishek to learn the ropes, get some help, and try to land a job. Zbishek offers some initial pointers, but right at the start of the game, a mishap with a power outlet leads to him getting electrocuted and passing away...
For some reason, you are the only one who can still see and communicate with him—a twist that adds both a touch of shock and a dose of comedy to the game. Even in death, Zbishek teaches you the trade of a *Majster* (akin to a handyman), enabling you to renovate various spaces—from plastering walls to repairing furniture and painting. Over time, you acquire the necessary tools—provided by Zbishek himself (though where he gets them or how he grabs them remains a mystery).
As time goes on—beyond just learning new techniques—a story unfolds in the background involving a competition among "Majsters" (handymen) to determine who is the best; for every major job completed, you earn a different trophy for your shelf (which you had to tidy up yourself to make room for them).
After each job, if anything is broken or dirty, you receive a breakdown of your earnings and losses when trying to wrap things up. To maximize your payout, you need to do some cleaning (and if possible... TRY NOT TO BREAK THINGS).
My Impressions
The game features very smooth movement and camera controls regarding the character itself. However, performing certain tasks—such as painting walls—might make some players feel slightly dizzy; this happens because moving the mouse to carry out the task shifts the entire screen rather than just the character's hand or arm (it would actually be great to have a separate setting for this, similar to the option found in *PowerWash Simulator*).
As for the music, the tracks lean towards a Russian style—reminiscent of the 90s, judging by some in-game imagery—yet they feel fun and energizing while you work (which adds a touch of humor to the game).
Many situations and storylines tend to be comedic in nature, or even offer social commentary, which keeps the game's atmosphere lighthearted.
As for the graphics, they are quite beautiful and well-crafted, though there are some minor glitches here and there (which is somewhat common in 3D games where you can interact with almost every object).
The game features various storylines and moments where you have to make repairs... You always try to do the best job possible, but things don't always go right, often resulting in a rather "sloppy" finish (getting the wall tiles right, for instance, is actually quite tricky).
Some repairs are simple and straightforward... others require a bit of patience and precision to avoid knocking something over or breaking it (it’s very easy to break a window or shatter a bunch of tiles...).
Conclusions
Low-Budget Repairs is a highly entertaining game offering hours of gameplay, where players can tackle a wide variety of jobs—the kind they generally wouldn't do in real life.
The music is engaging and evokes the game's setting, helping players maintain their rhythm (especially during repairs).
Despite the great visuals, there are some issues—such as the camera, which lacks a free-look mode while using tools; this might leave some players feeling a bit dizzy, though it doesn't detract significantly from the overall experience.
If you enjoy simulators, this game feels like a collection of them rolled into one, allowing you to perform a diverse range of repairs while offering a healthy dose of humor.
Achievements
The game features a total of 49 achievements; many are tied to the story, while others relate to specific actions—such as delivering a job to a dissatisfied client, for instance.
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